


Like A Song

by PinkRangerV



Category: Power Rangers Wild Force
Genre: Martial Arts, Missing Scene, Teaching, neurodivergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 14:17:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3572735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkRangerV/pseuds/PinkRangerV
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Train her, Taylor said. Teach Shayla how to defend herself. That was harder than it looked. Oneshot, missing scene.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like A Song

**Author's Note:**

> Somewhere between the second time Shayla got kidnapped and The Master's Herald, Shayla learned to fight, and she's using a lot of Alyssa's moves. So I came up with an idea of how the lessons started.
> 
> Also note that, in fact, Taylor is kind of being a stressed-out asshole here, because for most of Wild Force, she feels responsible for keeping the team safe, but isn't the leader. She's not trying to be an asshole, but in canon she has her moments, and that's reflected here.

“Alyssa.”

 

Alyssa turned. Taylor was marching over, Princess Shayla trailing behind her like a very pouty puppy. Taylor gestured at Shayla. “Train her.”

 

Alyssa was used to Taylor's occasional caveman-speak. She translated that to mean 'Shayla's been kidnapped twice and I don't have the social skills to train Shayla effectively, so please train her for me'. She took a look at Shayla, who looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. She took a look at Taylor, who looked supremely irritated.

 

Alyssa put on her best smile. “I'd be honored.”

 

Taylor smiled. It was a nice smile, and Alyssa hadn't seen it in a long time. Ever since Cole showed up, Taylor had been super-stressed. Alyssa wished she knew why. “Thanks.” Taylor said, and then promptly took off.

 

Alyssa and Shayla sized each other up.

 

“I don't need to fight.” Shayla grumbled. “Just defend myself.”

 

Alyssa nodded. “I can do that. Here, show me how you make a fist.” Shayla did it wrong, of course. Why human instinct hadn't evolved to make a proper fist the natural reaction, Alyssa would never know. “Okay. Move your thumb here, so you don't break your fingers. Hitting even flesh is pretty hard on your hand, and orgs have exoskeletons sometimes.”

 

“Exowhat?”

 

Alyssa smiled. “Bone outside of their bodies. Like beetles.” Shayla understood that. “Okay. Now for stance. Look at how my legs are. Try to mimic that.”

 

That was about when Alyssa realized Shayla was wearing a long, white, flowing skirt. Admittedly, Alyssa, like many ballet students, came from the grand tradition of 'when you wear a skirt the teacher can't see how you're screwing up', but Alyssa was supposed to be helping. “You need to move your skirt so I can see what you're doing.”

 

Shayla looked scandalized. “In  _public_ ? Like a  _commoner_ ?”

 

Alyssa, not for the first time, wished she knew more about Shayla's world than she did. “Well, we could go get you pants.”

 

Shayla considered that, then did something complicated with her skirt that ended up looking almost like a functional pair of shorts. “Okay. Now what?”

 

Alyssa slid into her stance. Shayla awkwardly tried to copy her, stiff and moving in a clunky way that Alyssa had never seen before. “Try it again.” Alyssa told her. She moved more slowly to show Shayla.

 

Shayla knew it was wrong, because she huffed and threw up her hands. “This is ridiculous. I'm a princess and priestess of the Animarium! I'm not a warrior!”

 

Alyssa stepped out of her stance. “You don't have to go into battle. We just want you to be safe.”

 

“Well, it's not.” Shayla snapped. “Don't you understand? If I get close to people, I can _hear their thoughts_. It's overwhelming! I'll never be able to fight someone if just touching them gives me a migraine!”

 

...What?

 

“Didn't you know?” Shayla asked curiously.

 

Alyssa shook her head. “You can read minds?”

 

Shayla sighed. “Sort of. Not like Cole. I'm a  _princess_ . No matter how much power I had, the priests of the Animarium couldn't train me as much as anyone wanted. Political training had to come first, for the good of the kingdom.” She looked down despairingly at her bared legs. “Not that it's done a single bit of good. I should have just given up my crown and gone to live with the priests forever!”

 

Alyssa considered that.

 

Her education classes went on a lot about the different learning styles, but something Alyssa was noticing was that some people were just... _different_ than others. Psychics, magic-users...they had a lot of things in common, all those people. They resisted touch, or physical closeness. They had abilities that were difficult or beyond their control. They had to study and train, usually for years, to hone their potential. And in terms of personality, they were usually more sensitive—delicate, yes, but also the first people you went to when there was a fight or breakup.

 

It was a neurodivergence, like autism or ADHD or synthesia, that was obvious. But it was also a part of who Shayla was.

 

Alyssa reached out a hand. “Then let's practice touching.”

 

Shayla blinked at her.

 

“Watch me.” Alyssa stepped into one of her forms, focusing more on the elegance of the motion than anything else. “See how I moved? It's like...like your singing. Only you sing with your whole body.” Alyssa offered her hand again. “And to sing with your body, you have to be comfortable with it. So maybe if you practice touching, it'll be more comfortable.”

 

Shayla thought about it.

 

“We can try the other way if you want.” Alyssa offered. “But I think this'll help.”

 

Shayla reached out. Carefully. Half-cringing. But she still tapped Alyssa's hand, and when she pulled away, she was concentrating on something. She tried again, and again, and again, and then suddenly her hand slipped into Alyssa's, fine-boned and small and young, and Alyssa had to wonder just how old 'adult' meant three thousand years ago.

 

“I did it.” Shayla said. “I did it!”

 

Alyssa grinned.

 


End file.
